The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-11
GAS AND OIL In INDIANA.
The Views of State Geologist Thompson
Regarding the Field.
Fuel Supplies May Probably Be Found
by Enterprising ProspectOrs.

Maurice Thompson. the State Geologist. has
been closely studying the gas field of Indiana
since the drilling of wells has been in progress
during the last few months, and has prepared a
statement giving his observations and conclu-
sions upon some features of the matter.
"The Trenton limestone" he says, ''n which
the oil and gas of Indiana are found belongs to
group of rocks known as ,the Trenton forma-
ton, which is part of the lower silurian de-
posts. 1t is a marine rock, and in places is
found to be crowded with the shells. coral relics
crinoid stems and other remains of sea life.
Land plants probably did not exist in large num-
bers. if at all, at the time this limestone was
being deposited for the fossils of vegetable
origin found in the lower silurian rocks are
chiefly sea-weed remains. The Trenton rock,
however, is often quite bituminous, especially
in the upper strata, which sometimes contain
great dea! of carbonaceous shale
"The Trenton limestone does not out-crop in
Indiana, unless there may be slight exposure
at some point in the extreme southeastern limit,
on the Ohio. The name is from Trenton Falls,
on West Canada creek. in New York, where the
formation is exposed in high bluffs. The Birds
eye limestone of the New York biologists be-
longs to the Trenton formation. In some places
the limestones are almost black From eastern
Canada to Wisconsin, and from New York to
Tennessee and further south, the rocks of the
group, varying in Theological features. are found
in place. The receptaculite limestone of Mis-
souri, and the marbles of East Tennessee
ferred to the Trenton.
1.-The Trenton deposits are chiefly limestone of
magnetism type. In Illinois they are reported
as being brown magnetism limestone In Ohio
they are brownish and grayish in color, showing
granulated and porous structure the substance
effervescing feebly, if at ALL in diluted hydro
chloric acid. In Michigan the limestone is, in
places argillaceous and of blue color. In Iowa
it is reported as varying il color from buff to
blue and is magnetism. In Pennsylvania it is
often a blue snae. In Indiana, so far as may be
made out from the boring it is grayish or
brownish limestone, sometimes highly magne-
sian Under the microscope it presents, usually,
a granular. porous, but exceedingly firm struct-
ure. with traces of something like wavy lines of
darker color than the rest of the substance. 1t is
in this limestone that our oil and gas are found,
and this limestone is one of the strata of the
Trenton deposit or group. And l would here
say that one not versed in geology will do we'll
to bear in mind that the Trenton limestone may
vary greatly in its character within the smallest
area, and that to reach Trenton rock is one
thing, and to reach the porous magnetism lime
stone of the Trenton rock is quite another thing
What is limestone in one place may, in another
place in the same geological horizon, turn out to
be shale. and vice versa Geological horizon
has nothing to do with reference to sealevel.
Two places may nave very different sea-levels,
and yet be on the same geological horizon,
or they may have nearly the same al
titude above the sea and yet have
great difference as to the geological
horizon Lafayette and Kokomo may be less
| thar hundred feet apart in distance above
| the level. and yet any of the lower rocks
may be much deeper below one place than they
| are below the other Therefore, when we speak
of sea level hereafter, let it be understood that
| it is with reference to the altitude of the
| Trenton rock and not that of the towns. In
| other words, Union City. or Portland or Marion
may be many feet higher above sea level than
| Terre Haute, and yet, because of their lower
! gsyapgicai horizon Trenton rock would be much
nearer the surface than that at Terre Haute.
| OF course, this is we'll known to everybody who
has even mere smattering of geology, but it is
very hard for others to understand hence the
| explanation.
"a straight line drawn from Indianapolis to
| Richmond, Ind, will intersect the western
| boundary Of the upper silurian the
| northwestern corner OF Washington township, in
| Rush county Thence the area extends east
ward into Ohio. saving small patch of lower
| siluran around Richmond. North Of this east
and west line the upper siurian embraces
| most of Henry and Wayne counties, all of Ran
dolph, Delaware. Jay, Blackford and Grant. and
| large part of Madison, Upton. Howard. Mi
| ami, Wabash, Huntington, Wells and Adams
counties. At present we need not consider the
southern area. gas has been found south
of Indianapolis, though it may yet be found
| there
1.-THE chief formations in Indiana in the order
| ir which they are found are soil. drift, coal
measures, sub-carboniferous, devonian. upper
silurian lower silurar (Trenton.j The Trenton
limestone would be found in the lower part of
fhn tnuv Itn~i int rlnda n
above it would come the Hudson river and Utca
groups of the same formation, mostly shales and
| limestones.
''All bores put down in the counties just
| enumerated must begin at or near the top of the
| upper sllurian formation, and the depth of the
| bore would depend almost wholly on the thick
ness Of the strata, and this thickness appears
| not to vary at all in reference to a superficial
| altitude above sea Level.
Il have thus outlined roughly the upper silu
rian in northern Indiana. for mere refer
| ence purposes, because, in fact. the may
prove. and l think it will prove. to include a
much wider territory. North of the Wabash
river the drift deposits are thick that the
underlying strata be studied only with the
| greatest difficulty. One thing, however, has
been clearly demonstrated by my survey, viz.
That an irregular line of upheaval runs across
the State IRON east to west, with ofshoots to
the southwardNand probably to the northward,
of its central axis: that the accumulation of gas
in northern Indiana is due to this system of low
is much to indicate that the enormous expansive
power of the gas has lin the long past) had much
to do with the upheaval itself as | shall pres
emily show
"A line drawn across the State from the south
east corner of Monroe township, in Allen coun
ty, by way of Huntington. Wabash, Logansport
Monticello and kentland, would. in a genera
way, indicate the course Of the axis of disturb
ance South of this line both the outcropping g
and oorings have shown that the paleozoic
strata land particularly the lower silurianl have
been bent into low anticlinals broken il
various ways. l was aware of this from examin
atious made in the course of engineering work
long before took charge of this department
ard surprised that its existence
had been ignored or denied. Over
and over again it had been pro
claimed to the world that the pleozoic strata o
Indiana we're undisturbed: that no faults exist
ed. and that, with the exception of slight in
truson of the Cincinnati arch in the southeast
ern corner of the State, anticlinal existed
In making this statement 1 expressly dsavov
any direct indirect attack criticism upo,
the work of my distinguished and able predeces
In office, for it must be remembered tina
they had not carried the survey far enough
north TO put them in possession of the facts, o
to include fair study much less a settlement
of this question. 1t was. however. taken TO
granted by biologists everywhere that dis
turbance existed and that such phenomena a
those at Kentland ard Delphi and other points
must be referred to profound false bedding
nd Of Of nh